Over 9,000 enumerators and supervisors headed out across Panama on Sunday, January 8 to conduct the long-awaited the Population and Housing Census.

The process will last until next March 4. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. except on Carnival Monday and Tuesday," said Samuel Moreno, director of the National Institute of Statistics and Census.

The Comptroller's Office carried out a symbolic act in the town of Tocumen to start the censuses.

“With this, they should really realize where extreme poverty is, that it does exist in Panama, and see if help is given to that person. That is why (this census) is important, at that point,” said Eliseo Herdández, one of the first enumerators.